Doki Doki! Pretty Cure love court
by LeafAkemi
Summary: Aida Mana. Hishikawa Rikka. Yotsuba Alice. Kenzaki Makoto. Regina. Madoka Aguri. Six girls, with six stories, and six hearts. It began with the fall of the Pretty Cure.
1. Prologue: The Last Guardian

They were losing.

Cure Sword knew it. They couldn't win like this.

The world they had sworn to protect had turned against them unwillingly, and now they had to fight the monsters that were once their people.

Not even the Royal Pretty Cure could do such a daunting task.

"Princess!"

She turned her head to see Cure Ace, general of the Pretty Cure, with rare fear in her eyes.

"Princess, please run!"

Princess of the Trump Kingdom, Marie Ange, shook her head.

"I will not abandon my people!"

Ace narrowed her silvery eyes in frustration.

"Princess, please!"

Marie Ange tightened her grip on the Miracle Dragon Glaive.

"I will never leave my people, Cure Ace!"

Sword bit back a cry for her to give up her pride and just go.

Marie Ange was incredible to have hope at a dark time like this. She was radiant, truly. Yet, there was a difference between her heart's own strength and her safety!

"JIKOCHUUU-!"

Sword snapped herself out of her worries, and barely turned in time to see a massive gorilla Jikochuu bring back its fist.

"Dabyi!" she yelled.

"Ready, byi!" Sword's fairy partner called, heart mark on her forehead glowing.

"Flash! Holy Sword!"

Purple energy gathered around Sword's hand, just in time for her to jump out of the way of the Jikochuu's fist and cleave through its chest.

For a hopeful second, the Psyche of the Jikochuu fluttered free as the gorilla dissolved, purified.

Then, just as Sword had seen countless times before, it blackened and fell to the ground.

It would reform a Jikochuu soon enough.

The Pretty Cure hadn't fallen immediately. The curse permeating Trump Kingdom couldn't reach their Psyches, unless they took too much damage or lost their hope. And that was an all too real danger.

But the people of Trump Kingdom...the people she had sworn to protect, the people she had sung for, pledged for, prayed for, had fallen all at once. Their hearts had blackened, their very Psyches pulled out of their chests, to become gruesome Jikochuu. It hurt. It _hurt_.

But the only way to save them was to hold them off.

Sword looked back at the rest of her platoon, struggling against the hordes of Jikochuu.

Cure Fleur, Cure Bell, Cure Shield...everyone was fighting so hard.

So many of them had been lost already. The curse had taken them as they fell, and not even the Miracle Dragon Glaive could save someone unwilling to be saved.

Yet, her friends, her _partners_ fought on.

Could she really hope to stay strong like them?

"Striking! Jack Kick!"

That sounded close. Wait, did the Jikochuu already-?!

Cure Jack slammed into Sword's rapidly reforming Jikochuu with a spike of green energy encasing her leg, putting it out of commission for at least a few minutes as the Psyche tried desperately to escape once more.

Jack landed, wiping the sweat off of her forehead, her fairy floating nearby.

She looked at Sword with sharp eyes.

"I know you're exhausted, Cure Sword." She sighed. "We all are. And I know you didn't exactly sign up for this. But we can't stop, not even for a moment."

Sword nodded. It was stupid to lose herself in thought. She had to use that time to protect the Princess.

"AAAGH!"  
Jack turned, green pigtails hitting her in the face as she stared with wide eyes.

Cure Shield collapsed, holding her heart through her orange dress. Her eyes were clenched shut, her expression strained.

"Wall of s-steel! Blessed S-sh-shield-!"

A weak orange dome manifested around Shield, flickering in and out as her heart began to turn black.

"Shield…" whispered Jack.

Shield screamed once more, as her Psyche pulled its way out of her chest.

Orange light shone as Shield fell, her powers leaving her. Her orange outfit lost its sheen, and her eyes began to turn dull.

Sword squeezed her eyes shut. She had seen it before (too many times, now, one was already too many) but it was still a horrifying sight. Despite still having the uniform of a Pretty Cure that she had gained once she was knighted, Shield was now nothing more than a civilian.

"Cure Shield, para!"

Parala, Shield's fairy partner, was pushing on her unconscious body.

"Please wake up, para! Keep fighting, para!"

Jack looked at the ground.

"We can't stop, not even for a moment."

Sword nodded gravely.

"Cure Shield, please, para!"

Dabyi grabbed Sword's shoulder to get her attention.

"I'll take care of Parala, byi."

Sword nodded once more as Dabyi floated away, presumably to comfort the squirrel-like fairy.

That was...four. Four down.

Cure Coin, Cure Acorn, Cure Rose, and Cure Shield had now all fallen. Not dead in the physical sense, but good as.

Coin, from sacrificing herself. Acorn, from a nervous breakdown when fighting Coin's Jikochuu. Rose, from overconfidence. And Shield, simply from running out of endurance and hope to keep going.

And who was left behind to fight for them? Cure Ace, their fearless leader, but who couldn't fight hoards of Jikochuu by herself. Cure Jack, deputy general who was slowly beginning to show the strain she had placed on herself. Cure Bell, their healer, who was making clear the fact that she felt unable to save anyone. Cure Fleur, who had incredible speed but was barely out of training.

And Cure Sword, the newest of them all. She had only been a Cure for a month. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how hard she fought…!

She couldn't do anything to save anyone.

"Ringing bright! Clear Bell!"

The telltale sound of Bell's healing spell swept across the battlefield, fixing Sword's minor cuts and scrapes. It couldn't do much against the gash on Fleur's leg, but everyone else seemed to be fixed up.

"Jack."

Sword looked up from her rapidly-fixing injuries to see Cure Ace striding in front of her. Sword stiffened into a slight salute, but Ace only smiled sadly.

"Thank you, but that isn't needed, my Spade."

Sword nodded, relaxing. Jack looked at Ace warily.

"What do we do?" she asked, desperation in her voice. "Ace, so many...so many of us have fallen! If we can't break this curse…"

"We retreat," Ace stated gravely.

Jack looked shocked.

"How?! There's nowhere to go! The Jikochuu...they've taken over everything. The Seven Selfish have claimed our kingdom as their own playground!" Jack shook her head, eyes watering. "Their wretched king may be petrified from exhaustion, but he will wake! There's nothing we can do, Ace!"

Ace sighed. She placed a lone hand on Sword's shoulder.

"My Spade, you were a songstress first, a Pretty Cure second, correct?" Sword nodded, with slight confusion. Did Ace think she wasn't good enough to fight with them? At a time like this?

"Then you've been in the palace. You know of the Mirror Gate, and the strange world it connects to." Sword's eyes widened in realization. Ace couldn't be…!  
"My Spade, take the Princess and run. Run, far away from here. We shall buy you time." Sword shook her head. She couldn't be asking her this!  
"No! I can't leave you to die, General!" Ace just looked at her with weary eyes as Sword cried out. "Why me?! I'm not as experienced as any of you! Jack, Bell, anyone should take Marie Ange! I'm not...I shouldn't…"

Ace looked back, and Sword followed her gaze. Marie Ange fought against the Jikochuu as they talked, Miracle Dragon Glaive in hand. Exhaustion marred her features, yet she fought on.

Sword was unworthy to protect her, she knew.

"My Spade, Marie Ange is very dear to you. I know this. Even above all else, you would follow her, and protect her with your life. I doubt even I have such devotion." Sword simply looked desperately at Ace as she continued. "I know you will keep her safe. I believe that you can. No matter what."

Jack looked at Sword, and smiled.

"Take care of her, Cure Sword."

Sword nodded.

"Princess! Cure Sword will take you away from here! Head to the castle!"

Sword sprinted across the battlefield, dodging the swipes of Jikochuu along the way. She grabbed Marie Ange's hand.

"Princess, let's go!"

"I shouldn't leave them, Cure Sword…"

"We must retreat, Princess! Your safety is more important than anything."

Marie Ange looked unsure, but she began to run with Cure Sword.

Sword looked back to see Ace watching them go.

And to Sword's disbelief, she saluted the two of them.

Sword squeezed her eyes shut. She had to stay focused. She couldn't think of what Ace was about to do.

Pushing herself to her limits, she ran even faster, dragging Marie Ange behind her.

~  
Cure Ace looked at what was left of her platoon.

"Jack, Fleur, Bell...I know I'm asking a lot of you."

Jack shook her head.

"Being captured is nothing, Ace. I'll follow you to the end."

Bell smiled weakly.

"It's okay. With all of you, I feel like this will amount to enough."

Fleur held her hands to her chest.

"This is what I trained for, General."

Ace spread out her hands. Jack took one, Bell another. Fleur took the hands of the other two Cures.

"Thank you. Everyone, now!"

They raised their heads and voices to the sky.

"The Pretty Cure's Five Vows!"

"A Pretty Cure always looks forward to the future!"

Their future was now in the hands of Cure Sword.

"A Pretty Cure fights for love!"

Their love had been corrupted by the Selfish.

"A Pretty Cure protects the people!"

The people were Jikochuu now, their own enemies.

"A Pretty Cure believes in themself and their actions!"

Ace could count the decisions today she believed in on one hand.

"A Pretty Cure fights for those they treasure!"

Marie Ange was running for her life. Ace hadn't been able to protect her.

And one last time, they yelled together to the sky.

"THE ROYAL PRETTY CURE WILL NEVER FALL!"

They said it as they were falling. These lies were their oath, their swan song, the last spark of hope they had in their own hearts. Cure Ace loved her platoon, and her people.

God, she didn't deserve to have Cures like these, who would follow her before anything.

That was Cure Ace's last thought before a bright pillar of light erupted from the four girls, spreading outward and encompassing countless Jikochuu.

And all through it, their hearts shined.


	2. Episode 1: A Small Miracle

**i hope nyall like rewrites cause i'm here, i'm gay, and i'm gonna try and fix dokidoki. hope you enjoy it.  
i also keep forgetting doesn't have notes. please help me i'm a useless ao3 gay**

"Rikka, Rikka, did you hear?!"

"Yes."  
"Ehhhhh? How?!"  
"I'm joking, Mana. What is it?"  
"Makopi is supposed to be visiting Clover Tower _right now!_ "

"Really? Right now?"  
"Yeah, it's on Oogai First Draw! They say she was spotted just outside a few minutes ago!"  
"Shouldn't we have seen her?"

"You, maybe. I was kinda busy, remember?"  
"Yeah, and I was busy keeping you from helping literally anyone you spotted. We were both distracted."  
Aida Mana grinned sheepishly at her friend's complaint.

"Well, they needed help! That's something that a Student Council President should do, you know!"

Hishikawa Rikka, however, only sighed and ran a hand down her face. She had heard this all countless times before.

"Can't you delegate that or something?" she asked. Mana grinned in response.

"Well suuuuure," she said, "but I like doing it!"

"One of these days, you're gonna collapse from constantly running around."

"As long as I help people, I don't mind! It's totally heart-pounding, you know!"

Rikka gave Mana a small smile at her stupid little catchphrase.

Mana widened her smile in return.

This wasn't the first time the two of them had talked about this, and knowing Rikka, it wouldn't be the last. But Mana did mean it.

She loved to help people. The smiles on their faces when they thanked her - they were better than anything Mana could ever do.

"Anyway, anyway! Makopi!"  
Rikka blinked.  
"Oh, right. So, is she waiting in this ridiculous line as well?"

The line to enter the new Clover Tower Observation Deck stretched out through the entire lobby, as well as outside the building. Mana and Rikka had only just gotten inside - the rest of their class was ahead of them, as Mana had kept straying away from the field trip group to talk to others.

Rikka had insisted on staying by Mana's side, so that she "didn't hurt herself" or something. Mana thought it was unnecessary, but she had to admit it was nice to have someone with her.

"Probably not! She's famous, after all."

"Pretty famous for someone who only showed up three months ago," Rikka mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah, but her songs, Rikka! Her voice is beautiful~" Mana gushed. So she was _maybe_ the biggest fan of Mako-P she knew, or Makopi as her fans called her. So she was _maybe_ obsessed over an idol who only just broke out of obscurity a few months ago. So she, just _maybe_ , wanted every piece of Mako-P merch she could find. Just maybe.

"Ah, you love Mako-P a lot, Mana."

"Well, of course! Anyone would love her! She's so sweet, and nice, and pretty…"

"Oooh, does someone have a cruuuush?" Rikka teased, pulling on Mana's arm.

"Noooooo!" Mana protested, beginning to blush. Just because Mako-P was beautiful and had an angelic voice and was so, so sweet and kind didn't mean anything! Nothing at all!

"I don't think so!" Rikka pulled Mana back and forth harder, leaving her just rocking in place as she protested.

"Rikkaaaaaaa-chaaaaaaaaan!"

Rikka broke her grip, and the two girls burst out into giggles. Mana's face was still beet red, bringing on another burst of childish giggles.

"You look like a 12 year old who got dared to say they liked someone!" Rikka laughed.

"Rikkaaaaa-chan…" Mana whined. Her blush was dying down, but she was still completely embarrassed.

"Fine, fine! C'mon, if you _love_ her so much-" Mana's blush flared up again, to Rikka's amusement, "-then you know her songs, right?"

"Of course!" Mana replied, indignant. "Why would I not?"

Rikka smirked mischievously.

"Dare you to sing one."

"Ehhhhhhhhhhhh?! Rikka, you of all people know I can't sing!"

"That's why it's a _dare_ , Mana!" Rikka's glasses glinted as she grinned.

Ohhh nooooo.

"Unless you don't like Mako-P as much as you say you do."

That pushed Mana over the edge.

"Of course I do!"

"So you'll do it?"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I'll sing!"

Rikka smiled smugly.

For being such a mom friend, she sure was a troublemaker sometimes.

Rikka pulled out her smartphone, pulling up the music app.

"Which song, then? I'll play it if you look up the words."

Mana turned away, indignent.

"I know the words-" she suddenly realized something, facing Rikka again. "Wait, you have her album too?"

Rikka winked.

"You do like her!"

"Never said I didn't~" Rikka sing-songed.

"It was heavily implied!"  
The line moved slowly as the two of them bickered. It wasn't until they were just in front of the elevator when Mana successfully stole Rikka's phone, pulling up a song.

"Here. Missing Piece."

Rikka nodded.

"Sounds good to me."

Rikka turned the phone's tinny sound up to max as Mako-P's voice started coming out of the speakers.

"You just have to sing the first bit of the chorus," she said. Mana nodded.

As the song started, Mana rocked back and forth nervously. It was just a stupid dare, it didn't mean anything.

"Ah, this is totally heart-pounding!" she whined.

The song started, Mako-P singing to the catchy electronic beat, and Mana danced slightly to the beat. That got her a few giggles from Rikka.

Mako-P's voice continued, causing Rikka to hum along.

 _Namida no ato_

Mana steeled herself. Rikka dared her to do this because she knew Mana loved singing and Mako-P, no matter how bad she was.

 _yūki ichirin_

Well, actually, Rikka's humming was actually really good...

Mana broke out into a grin. She had a plan for this.

 _sakasetai_

" _Mamoritai hito,"_ she started loudly and off-key, making Rikka burst out laughing.

" _Mamoru tame ni-"_ Mana took Rikka by the hand, dragging her closer, "- _nando datte-"_ Rikka was the one blushing now, being pulled squarely into Mana's chest, "- _charenji suru yo!"_ Mana giggled, twirling Rikka around as she continued to almost yell the lyrics.

" _Anata no tame-"_ Rikka joined in, just as Mana had wanted. The song became a mishmash of off-key and actually decent singing, creating a greater cacophony than before, "- _kyō mo utau no!"_ The two of them danced awkwardly, getting stares from the civilians around them.

" _Kokoro wo komete_ for you _!"_ Mana smiled brightly at Rikka's singing, a rare occurrence from her friend.

" _Itsuka aeru-"_ Rikka took control now, stepping one-two and bumping into probably too many people, "- _kitto aeru-_ " Mana took it as a challenge to yell the lyrics louder than Rikka, who was doing her best at remembering them, "- _mune no kodō-"_ Rikka yelled back, their voices rising above the din of the crowd, "- _sore ga mejirushi_!"

" _Hitori janai tsuyogari demonai dokidoki shite iru nooo…"_ The two of them yelled, taking in breath for the last word of the chorus, ".. _ima!"_

Mana breathed heavily, pleased with herself.

Well, pleased with herself until she went to collapse dramatically and fell right into the line's corders.

Mana and Rikka burst into laughter now, the reality of them being in a very crowded lobby returning.

 _Missing Piece_ continued on Rikka's phone, but the two girls were too busy laughing to care.

"That - was totally - heart-pounding!" Mana got out between spurts of laughter as Rikka pulled her up.

"I can't believe you did the whole chorus that loud!" Rikka replied.

"Well, you joined in!"

The two of them continued to laugh, not noticing how the line had completely stopped moving.

Instead, the crowd has swarmed against the corder holding them back as a single girl walked between the lines.

"MAKO-P!"

Mana looked up in shock.

"Did you hear…"

"MAKOPI?!" the two of them exclaimed in disbelief.

Sure enough, striding out of the elevator, past the long line, a girl held her head high and walked with controlled, trained elegance. Purple hair, purple eyes, a lilac sleeveless sweater, a violet bow with a sparkling charm - it was the signature color of a certain idol.

Despite the cries of her fans - and the confused noises of the unaware - Mako-P stared straight ahead, her gaze never wavering.

It was the poise of a famous idol, and Mana was amazed at the sight.

"Eh? Why's everyone-" Mana tore her eyes away from Mako-P to see Rikka staring at the dwindling line. People had abandoned their hard-earned place in line to swarm Mako-P, despite her manager and assorted security pushing them back.

"It's like...she cast a spell on them," Mana breathed. Rikka looked skeptical.

"It's more like people are crazy. Someone like that doesn't care what you do - they've seen it all before."

Sure enough, Mako-P's gaze was hard yet vacant, only focused on walking through the path her security was making for her.

One, two, three steps, each perfectly measured, as if she was walking a runway.

"Well, whatever. Less line to wait in, right, Mana?"

Mana shook herself out of her admiration once more.

"R-right! Yeah, it's good."

Rikka smirked.

"You're so smitten with her." Mana's face went bright red.

"Ehhhh? No, no, no way! I'm just a fan! A fan, Rikka!" Rikka's laughter was drowned out by the cries of Mako-P's groupies, but Mana could imagine it well enough by this point.

Mako-P's fans...they were being awfully rough for just fans. It wasn't like anything Mana had seen before.

It really was like someone had put a spell on them.

Hey, wait, someone was grabbing her bow-!  
"Rikka, hold my place!" Mana was calling out the words before she knew it, tearing away from the line and sprinting towards Mako-P. They couldn't just fight over her like she was an object, idol or not!

"Mana, wait-!" But Mana was running, the only thought on her mind helping Mako-P.

 _And maybe, just maybe, she'll notice me!_

Eh? Where had that come from? That wasn't what Mana was planning at all!

 _She'll be so greatful if I drive those groupies away and give her back her bow. She'll thank me, and smile, and she'll be all mine._

Ah, no, that didn't make sense! What was going on?

Mana slowed, putting her head in her hands. These weren't her thoughts, were they?

 _I can be a little selfish. It's Makopi, after all. Who wouldn't want to hear her voice, thanking them, being so happy?_

 _But it'll be mine. She'll be happy because of me. All mine…_

The thoughts were tempting, and that was the issue. Mana wanted to be selfish, wanted to see Mako-P's smile…

"No, no, no!" They weren't her thoughts! This wasn't the Aida Mana she wanted to be! Not for Mako-P, and not for anyone!

Mana turned to the fan she had seen earlier, who was cradling the bow and charm like a child, and snatched it out of his hands.

"This belongs to Makopi-san!" she reprimanded. _It could belong to me, though. I could take it. She'd never know. And I'd have a little piece of Makopi, all to myself…_

Aaaagh! What was _wrong_ with her?

Mana pushed past the fans, past the security, throwing her hands out towards Mako-P before she did something she'd regret.

"HERE!" she yelled, louder than she had expected.

Mako-P turned, and Mana quickly looked down in an attempt to avoid her eyes. She felt as if Mako-P would be able to see her selfish thoughts just by looking.

She felt fingers brush against her palm, curling softly around the bow.

"Thank you," she heard, and the dark part of her heart pounded with excitement and admiration.

This wasn't the heart-pounding feeling she liked.

Yet, it felt so nice…

"Y-y-you're welcome," Mana stuttered out, lifting her head back up. That was a mistake.

As the idol fixed her hair, Mana could see a tiny smile on her face. A smile for _her_.

"Have, um, a good day, Makopi-san." She gave her a smile as her cheeks burned red, struggling to not do anything impulsive.

The world felt like it had gone still, as Mako-P looked at Mana. Looked at _her_ , with the tiniest of smiles, with an awfully warm glow in her eyes…

"Please, everyone! My client does not have time for your roughhousing!" Mako-P's manager protested against the crowd.

"Probably. Should go." Mana said weakly.

"Ah, yeah." Mako-P nodded in agreement, still with that tiny little smile. She turned around to follow her manager.

And with that, Mana ran away as fast as she could.

"Uwaaaaah! What is with me today?!" she whined, holding her face as it flushed. Any other day, she would have been over the moon to get a 'thank you' from Mako-P.

 _My thank you. My smile. Mine, mine, mine._

But that little voice in the dark part of her heart flooded her with guilt. She didn't want to be selfish, honest!

What was going on?!

"Excuse me, miss?"

Eh?

"You might want to-"

Slam.

Mana, in all her hurry, had managed to walk squarely into some sort of stall.

This was not her day, was it?

"Sorry, sorry sorry!" She squealed, holding her forehead. "Ah, sorry, I was so distracted-!"

There was a clap of a large hand on her shoulder.

"It's fine, kid."

Mana opened her eyes reluctantly. A large man with a bright pink and white plaid shirt towered over her, blue eyes sparkling with mirth.

"You sure?" she asked.

"It's all good. I swear, sometimes people do it on purpose." He shook his head, laughing softly. "Name's Joe. This is my jewelry stall."

"Jewelry?" Sure enough, the cart she had walked into was covered in sparkling charms, necklaces, and assorted trinkets.

"I saw what you did for that girl. She's an idol, right? Not many people would give up a chance to have one of her personal items like that." Mana smiled nervously.

"It was the right thing to do, I guess. I mean, yeah, I wanted to keep it. But it's hers, right? I can't just keep something like that and not feel bad about it." Joe looked at Mana with a grin that seemed too small in comparison to the rest of him.

"Hey, how about you take any of the little charms here? To replace the one you gave to her."

Mana's eyes widened.

"No, no, no! I couldn't! It wasn't even mine!" she protested, waving her hands. She didn't deserve something like that at all!

"I insist. Consider it an advertisement, for the store." Joe produced a small key, opening a case of silver and gold charms with a click. "Any that draw your fancy?"

As nice as the gesture was, Mana still felt unsure. Most of the charms were pretty, but she didn't want to just take something she wouldn't wear. Should she just turn him down? Would he be mad?

There weren't a lot of gold charms in the box, Mana realized. In fact, there was only one - a gold charm with a small heart-shaped arrow on it.

Wait, that looked just like Mako-P's charm!

"Isn't that what Mako-P was wearing?!" Mana exclaimed.

"Ah, so you noticed. I have to admit, I was inspired by that girl's jewelry taste. My attempts to reproduce them aren't the best, to be honest...but if you want that one, I'd be happy to give it to you!"

Mana gingerly picked up the charm. It seemed to glow at her touch, as if it was waiting for her to choose it.

But that'd be silly, and so Mana didn't dwell on the thought.

"Thank you so much, Joe-san!" she said with a bright smile. Joe picked the charm out of her hands, inspecting it.

"Yep, no cracks. Good. Here, let me pin it for you."

Mana closed her eyes as Joe pinned the golden charm to her hair bow, fastening it with a click.

"There. Just like that idol girl."

"Thank you! Thanks so much!"

Mana, now with a new charm atop her head, continued her path back to the line. Rikka must have been wondering where she was.

Okada Joe looked at the girl hurrying back towards the Observation Deck line, and smiled softly.

"I hope that charm finds you well, my Heart."

Elsewhere in the tower, a girl with a dress as black as her Psyche laughed loudly, spilling the chocolate-covered popcorn she had been eating.

"Hey, hey, Mammo-chan! You gotta see this!" she exclaimed, gathering up the snacks once more and shoving a handful more into her mouth.

The girl was a floor above the idol Mako-P, who was now struggling to move in the sea of people around her at the autograph signing. The girl, sat atop the safety railing in a remarkably unsafe position, continued to smirk and watch.

"What is it, brat?" A young woman with long, light blue hair pursed her made-up lips tightly, eyes narrow.

"Hey! I'm no brat. You shouldn't insult your superior!" the girl protested.

"What is it, Regina?" the woman amended with a sigh.

"I just did a little bit of magic! Just a little test, and these humans are losing their minds over this girl!" Regina giggled some more, popcorn falling off the edge of the walkway. "She's not even as pretty as me, yet look at them!"

"Idol, eh?" the young woman followed Regina's pointing finger to Mako-P, who had broken into a run away from the crowd.

"Isn't it funny?" Regina looked up at the woman for validation. The woman's supernaturally golden eyes were wide in shock.

"...did you cast a charm on Cure Sword, brat?!"

"Sword? Like that girl I'm supposed to avoid?"

"Not _like,_ she _is_ her! Take it off right now! She could notice you!"

Regina pouted.

"Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine," she whined, snapping her fingers. Immediately, the tension seemed to lift from the air. "Happy, Mammo-chan?"

"It's Marmo," the young woman said, almost a reflex at this point. "Don't call me Mammo-chan."

"Happy, _Marmo_?" Regina enunciated, rolling her eyes.

"Would have been happier if you stayed in the damn castle instead of flitting off to the human world like this," Marmo grumbled, "but yes."

"Now what am I supposed to do?" Regina asked, frustration on her face.

"Go home? Let us, the actual professionals, take care of the Pretty Cure instead of you almost giving away your existence?" Marmo offered,

"Hmmm…" Regina pretended to consider it. "Nah! I'm gonna go make a Jikochuu instead!"

"What?!" Marmo exclaimed.

"Gonna go do it~!" Regina sang, walking across the railing. "See ya, Mammo-chan!"

She snapped once more, and vanished into thin air.

"That little brat's gonna be the death of me," Marmo hissed.

Below them, Mako-P could finally breathe.

"Wooooaaah!"

Mana held Rikka's hand as she looked at the wide landscape from the observation deck.

"Rikka, Rikka, you think I can see our school from here?"

"I mean, probably," Rikka agreed. "You can see a lot from here."

"It's so pretty!" Mana squealed.

"Not as pretty as me, I'd hope!"

Mana didn't recognize that voice. She gently pulled her hand out of Rikka's and turned to see a young girl smirking, long blond hair cascading down the back of her gothic dress.

"Um, hi?" Mana attempted a smile.

"Ooooooh! You're that girl!" The girl's eyes sparkled as she practically skipped around in a circle before getting almost uncomfortably close to Mana. "That girl who was trying so hard to not be selfish!"

"Self...ish?" The girl couldn't mean what happened with Mako-P. No one could have known Mana's weird thoughts but Mana!

"Yeah, yeah!" the girl grinned like it was obvious. Her eyes went wide and doe-eyed in some sort of imitation of Mana. "Ah, if I give this back, she'll smile for me~! The smile will be all mine~ Makopi, all miiiiine~" the girl giggled.

"I didn't...I couldn't have…" Mana took a step backwards, almost colliding into Rikka.

"You were so funny! It was so cute to see you flail around like that! Should have done a bit more magic just to see you fawn over that idol girl some more~" came the sing-song voice. Wait, did she say magic?

"Don't worry, Mana." Rikka stepped in front of Mana, to her relief. "She's obviously just trying to get some attention. Magic isn't real."

"Maybe for you!" The girl stuck her tongue out. "You humans are so boring! Have to use magic just to get any rise out of you."

"Are you not human?" Mana couldn't stop the stupid question from escaping her lips. Of course she was human-

"Pfft, as if!"

Eh?

"I'm Selfish, silly!" The girl enunciated it in a way that it just seemed to have a capital letter. Like something in a manga, or one of Rikka's science fiction books. "You're talking to Regina, princess of the Selfish and general of the Jikochuu!"

"Coooool." Rikka seemed officially done with the girl's attitude. "Can you just leave us alone?"

"Leave you alone? Don't be silly! Not when you'd make such a wonderful Jikochuu!"

A wonderful what? ...was this Regina girl saying Rikka was self-centered?

"Rikka's not self-centered at all! What are you talking about?" Now it was Mana placing herself in front of Rikka, despite the weak protests from her friend.

"Not Jikochuu like that! You humans are so one-minded." Regina ran a hand through her hair, flipping it back. She strode forward, pushing Mana out of the way and cupping Rikka's face in her hand.

"H-hey!" Mana protested. Regina either didn't hear her, or just didn't care.

"I hear your heart, even though you don't. You want that girl to fawn over you like she does that idol, right, Hishikawa Rikka~? You want her smile, her happiness, her love, all to yourself." Rikka recoiled, trying to pull out of Regina's grip fruitlessly. Regina stroked her face with her free hand, making Rikka close her eyes and shiver. "It's your dark heart's desire, right? The one you'd never speak aloud..."

"Let her go!" Mana grabbed Regina by the shoulders, trying to pull her off Rikka. But in a flash, Regina let Rikka go, leaving her stumbling backwards, and turned to face Mana. Two hands lightly held her neck, strangely cold.

"Ah, don't get me started on you~ Aida Mana...your heart strives to be selfless. So cute~!" Regina smiled so brightly it could almost be mistaken as a friendly compliment. "But," she continued, the smile breaking into something darker, "your little love...it's so cute, so sweet, but it's so...selfish."

Regina let her go all at once, shrugging with a ear-to-ear smile.

"Not that there's anything wrong with being selfish, Mana-chan! It's just so _cute_ to see you be all distressed over it!" Mana backed up slowly, trying to put as much distance between her and Regina. As much as it pained her to leave Rikka like that, her fear was overriding everything else. "Just let yourself be selfish for once! Just a little bit...it wouldn't hurt anyone, now would it~?"

Mana swallowed hard.

"No," she said.

Regina's sweet expression hardened into something sour.

"Well. You're no fun," she stated flatly. She strolled over to Rikka, who was leaning against the observation deck window for support.

"Leave Rikka alone!" Mana cried. Regina simply scoffed.

"You're not involved in this anymore~!" She snapped, a ball of dark red and purple energy appearing atop her pointer finger.

Regina pointed at Rikka as if shooting her with a finger gun.

"I'll turn you into a wonderful Jikochuu!" With that, she skipped around, almost seeming to float above the ground in places.

Then, she took aim-

And fired the bolt of energy straight at the wide-eyed Rikka with a small "pew".

"NO!" Mana cried.

A few things then happened all at once.

The charm atop her head seemed to glow with a golden energy.

The door to the emergency stairwell slammed open.

And the beam of purple energy pierced Rikka through the heart.

Mana dropped to the ground.

"RIKKA!" she cried.

Almost in response, Rikka screamed, a dark heart-shape pulling its way out of her chest. Regina didn't seem alarmed, only blowing imaginary smoke off of her finger gun.

As Mana watched in horror, the dark heart sprouted twin bat wings, pounding and growing larger. A red crack began to split it in half.

"Pretty Cure! Love Link!"

The heart split in half, a dark, almost cartoon-like bird monster erupting from the middle.

"L-O-V-E!"

"Jikochuu!" it roared. Mana scrambled backwards, not taking her eyes off of the dark purple bird.

"The blade of courage!"

Rikka's body collapsed to the ground, pale and still. A heart-shaped hole had appeared where the dark shape had pulled itself out of her.

"Cure Sword!"

Mana couldn't move.

Fortunately, she didn't have to. In a blur, someone sprinted over and picked her up with ease, effortlessly carrying her.

In a flash, Mana was on the other side of the observation deck, being put down gently.

"Are you alright?"

Mana looked up, still slightly in a stupor. A girl stood before her, with a sparkling purple and white uniform and too-light purple hair.

"Cosplayer?" Mana asked dumbly.

The girl shook her head.

"I am Cure Sword," she stated. Oh. Her eyes were startlingly purple, Mana noticed. "I'm here to fight that Jikochuu."

Jikochuu. That's what Regina had said.

"You're going to help Rikka?" Mana's eyes were wide, pleading. Someone had to help Rikka. If no one did, she'd do all she could...which probably wasn't much, to be honest.

"Yes," replied Cure Sword. "I can purify the Jikochuu and get your friend's Psyche back."

Another word pronounced with a capital letter. It was kind of silly, Mana thought. RIkka would love all these fancy terms.

"I need to help," Mana said, pushing herself up into a wobbly stand. "You can't do this alone."

Cure Sword smiled, but her eyes were hard.

"Yes, I can. I have been." She turned to leave. "Just stay put," she said to Mana. "I don't want you getting hurt."

And with that, Cure Sword darted off to where the Jikochuu and Regina were.

"I have to help," Mana said to no one. "I have to help…"

"Cure Sword, sharu!"

Eh? Who now?

Mana turned just in time to hear a squeak, three small colors flitting back behind the stairwell door.

"Someone there?" she called.

There were whispers that Mana couldn't quite make out.

"Did you see Cure Sword, sharu?" came the small voice from before.

"Um, yeah! She went to go fight that monster."

"Oh, sharu. Guess she's busy, sharu..."

Mana had an idea. It wasn't the best of ideas. It wasn't even a mediocre idea. It was a terrible, awful idea.

It all depended on one thing.

"Um, are you guys magic or something?"

A tiny pink head with large, bunny-like ears peered around from the door.

"We're from the Trump Kingdom, sharu! Cure Sword is gonna help us find Pretty Cure, sharu!"

Yep. A terrible idea.

She said it anyway.

"If I help you, can you help me fight that monster?"

The pink fairy came closer and closer to Mana, who did her best to stand tall.

"It doesn't really work like that, sharu. You need something, sharu-"

"Sharuru, look, keru! That girl has a Cure Lovead, keru!"

Sharuru stopped mid-sentence, and looked up at Mana's head. The gold charm on her bow sparkled.

"You...you have a Lovead, sharu? How, sharu?!"

"I just...got it?" Mana said. It wasn't exactly a lie - Joe had just given it to her. Even if it was anything special, he wouldn't have known, right?

"Okay, sharu! You're the one I'm looking for, sharu!"

This was suddenly going a bit too fast for Mana.

With a poof of smoke, Sharuru turned into a sort of cell-phone with a touch screen. Her pink face was still very visible. It was the strangest phone Mana had ever seen.

"If you're gonna be my partner, I should know your name, sharu!" said the cell phone. Mana made a face.

"You can still talk like that?"

"Of course, sharu!" the fairy almost seemed offended. Mana winced.

"Sorry. It's Mana. Aida Mana."

Whatever the fairy was going to say next was cut off by Sword's scream.

"That was Cure Sword, sharu!"

Mana ran, cell-phone-fairy in hand, to see Cure Sword crushed by the Jikochuu falcon's talon, the roof above her broken.

"What...is this Jikochuu?" Sword choked out. "Why is it…so strong…?"

Regina laughed from her seat atop the broken roof.

"It's _my_ Jikochuu, silly! I wouldn't just use a weak one for you, Cure Sword!"

The Jikochuu's talons closed tighter, and Sword cried out.

"Mana, sharu! We have to help Cure Sword, sharu!"

It may have been Mana's idea, but suddenly everything was blurring into pink and black and purple.

"Okay," she said anyway.

"Put your Lovead into the slot, and shout out 'Pretty Cure Love Link', sharu!"

Cure Sword finally seemed to notice Mana's presence as she climbed out onto the roof, still gripping Sharuru tightly.

"Sharuru, you can't…!" Another squeeze from the Jikochuu, and Sword's words were lost in a scream.

"Please, sharu! She won't last long against a Jikochuu like that, sharu!"

Mana undid her ribbon, her hair falling down against her neck. The gold Lovead glinted in her hand.

"Sharuru!" cried the fairy as Mana placed the Lovead into the white slot.

"Pretty Cure Love Link!" Mana called, almost too loudly. Pink light erupted from Sharuru's phone form to surround Mana, covering both Cure Sword and Regina from view.

On the heart touchscreen, Mana's hands moved on their own, spelling out letters.

"L-O-V-E!" Sharuru called in response.

Suddenly, every feature of Mana's body was covered in shimmering light, ribbons of pink shaping a uniform almost identical to Cure Sword's, only pink. Large cuffs covered her hands, hearts shining over her hands.

Light flowed over her head, her hair expanding into a oversized blonde ponytail, pink headband seemingly holding it in place.

A heart brooch appeared along with a long, pink bow as Mana twisted, landing on thin air.

"Brimming with love!" Her mouth was on autopilot, saying words that didn't seem to belong to her. "Cure Heart!"

The light dissipated, an amused Regina and wide-eyed Cure Sword left behind.

The autopilot left her, but Mana - or Cure Heart, she supposed - wasn't quite done yet.

"Seems like you've lost your love, you sad falcon!" She held up a heart shape with her hands, positioning it next to her face and winking. "I, Cure Heart, will restore your heart-pounding excitement!"

"Cute~!" Regina sang. "Cure Heart, you're so cute!"

Heart smiled.

"I want to keep you! Jikochuu, kill Sword and capture Heart, please!"

Heart's smile froze on her face.

This was a bit too heart-pounding.


	3. Episode 2: Undeterred Hearts

Cure Heart's worries began and ended with Sword's scream.

They began as the Jikochuu, the grotesque shadow that had pulled its way out of Rikka's limp body, squeezed Sword's too-lithe body, leaving the warrior screaming every last bit of air out of her lungs.

Heart backed up, pink eyes wide as Sword pushed against the claws with weak hands. She had to do something. She was Cure Heart, wasn't she?

Sword was gasping out something that Heart couldn't make out. A name? An attack?

It didn't matter. Aida Mana wasn't one to take something slow, or to think about the consequences. Mana was one to rush in and make it happen.

So was Cure Heart.

Heart ran towards the Jikochuu, not a thought in her brain except for _save Sword._

"H-h-"

Was she calling for help? For Cure Heart?

"Holy-"

Sword didn't need to wait. Heart acted on instinct, kicking under the Jikochuu's other claw, knocking it off balance. Heart twirled in mid-air, meeting the falcon-like monster with a harsh kick to the face.

"H-holy… _!"_ Sword called it out as the Jikochuu's grip loosened imperceptibly, holding her own fairy-slash-cell phone out almost as a shield. This one had a different charm in it - silver, with a wide red heart.

"She can't be, sharu!" Speaking of, Sharuru squeaked out a string of protests as she saw Sword. "No, no, no! To pull off an attack in a situation like this-!"

Heart stumbled as she hit the ground, falling squarely on her butt.

"Oww…" she mumbled, before remembering her goal. "Sword-san! Can you get out?"

Sword made no attempt to reply.

"HOLY SWORD!"

The cry was as sharp as the blade that surrounded Sword's hand, sharp enough to pierce the heavens.

"Sword, sharu! Don't, sharu!"

A purple slash cleft the dark bird's claw in twain as Sword flung herself out of the way, light bending in impossible ways from her hand to the Jikochuu.

Sword crashed onto the deck of the Clover Tower's roof, but barely cried out. She turned to look at Heart, eyes narrow and focused.

"We can finish it. Use your attack, now!"

"A-attack?" Was Heart was supposed to do something like that? Sure, she had gotten the hang of kicking the Jikochuu, but this was a bit different!

Sword groaned.

"Don't tell me. You don't have an attack Lovead yet?"

Heart shook her head.

Sword cursed under her breath.

"If only this world's magic wasn't so weak, we wouldn't even need it…! No matter." She turned back to Heart, expression grave. "I'll handle it by myself, then."

"Are you done?"

The two Precures' attention were quickly drawn to the petite girl standing on the edge of the roof.

"Regina-san," Heart started. "Please, just turn Rikka back to normal. I don't want to fight you, but I don't want you to hurt anyone!"

"Don't bother trying to reason with her," Sword muttered, pushing herself up. "She's one of them. A Selfish. She can't even feel love."

Heart gaped. Couldn't feel love?

"I've never seen this particular Selfish general before, but by the strength of her Jikochuu, I doubt she'll go down without a fight. First we purify the Jikochuu, then we turn to the Selfish. Understand?"

Heart nodded dumbly.

Sword started to move, but looked back at Heart, something...nostalgic in her gaze.

"If your feelings are strong enough, you will be able to fight. I...I know that." With that, she leapt off, charging towards the Jikochuu once more.

"If my feelings are strong enough…?" Heart echoed. She looked down at her shaking hands. "Rikka…"

No. The monster she was about to fight wasn't Rikka.

It was a Jikochuu. It was caused by that Regina girl. And Rikka had _nothing_ to do with it.

Emboldened by her new decision, Heart stood tall, hands clenched into tight fists.

She charged towards it, a rapid fire of punches against the bird's torso. As the falcon swiped at her with a rapidly-reforming talon, she flipped into a makeshift handstand, bending away from the attack.

Sword took her place, kicking the Jikochuu into the air. She jumped up in return, spinning and roundhouse kicking the squawking monster back to the roof.

"Haaaaaah!" Heart cried, drawing a fist back and upcutting the Jikochuu's head.

But it was no use. The bird merely cried out, and with a flap of its wings, Heart was sent skidding along the roof, slamming into a guard rail.

"Flash! Holy Sword!"

Cure Sword called out her attack once more, pushing against the Jikochuu's torso in an attempt to bisect it. Yet, the Jikochuu's power was just as strong, leaving the two at a stalemate.

Regina sighed dramatically, walking away from the two dueling forces and towards Heart.

"Cure Heart~ C'mon, why don't you just give this up already? It's so booooriiiiing~!" Regina said, practically singing. "Why don't you just come with me? You're so cute and pink and naive - I want to keep you!"

Heart took a breath, steeling herself.

"Not unless you give Rikka back."

Regina made a face.

"Oh, the blue girl? I can't do that, silly! They're her own selfish desires, after all! I can't make them go away." Heart's eyes narrowed along with her stance.

"Then why did you hurt her like that?" Regina responded with a giggle, twirling in place. The quick punches Heart threw were quickly sidestepped, even with Regina's eyes closed. She smirked.

"Cause it was fun! She wanted to protect you so bad, and she couldn't even protect herself!" she said with a laugh. "It was so cute and funny! I don't get you humans at all. So sentimental, you know?"

Heart started to shake. She threw another punch, backed by her anger, but Regina caught it effortlessly.

"And your reaction! Your reaction was so funny! 'Rikka, Rikka~!'" she mocked with wide eyes.

"Don't talk about her that way." Heart looked down, not meeting Regina's eyes.

Regina lifted an eyebrow, finally letting Heart go.

"Why? She's a Jikochuu now, anyway. She'll never know!"

"Yes, but I know. And I know that Rikka...that Rikka is so much stronger than you could ever be, Regina-san. I know that...Rikka loves me."

" _If your feelings are strong enough…"_

"So don't speak about her like that. Rikka's my best friend. I'd give up anything for her."

" _Then you'll be able to fight."_

"And I'll defeat you. For Sword-san. For Sharuru-chan. And because….because…"

" _I know that_."

"BECAUSE I LOVE RIKKA-CHAN, TOO!"

The cry came out with a wave of shining pink energy, as if it was a shockwave through the air itself.

Heart, on some whim, pulled out Sharuru's cell phone-like body, holding it out in front of her. Light shined brightly within her heart-shaped brooch, connecting a beam of light between the Lovead and herself.

And before her eyes, a new, silver Lovead was formed, a ruby red heart inlet on its surface. She slowly placed Sharuru back into her case, no one making a move except for herself.

Heart reached out and grabbed the Lovead with both hands, pressing it to her chest and willing it to disappear until she needed it.

The light around her whipped her hair around as if there was an intangible wind, a mini tornado, where Heart was in the eye of the storm itself.

Sword turned to look at her, eyes wide. A tiny smile crossed her face.

The Jikochuu squawked, flapping and forcing the off-guard Sword to the roof once more.

Heart walked, slowly and carefully, the antithesis of her as a person, past Regina and towards Rikka's Jikochuu. She ignored the cries of disbelief of the Selfish girl, and the misty eyes of the purple Pretty Cure.

The Jikochuu cried out, twitching furiously the closer Heart got to it.

"Cure Heart!" Sword cried out. "Now! Will your Lovead back, and place it into your Commune!"

Heart shook her head.

"No, I won't. Not yet" She turned her head, looking at Regina's awed face. "This is Rikka's darkness, right? And who would I be...who would I be if I couldn't accept it?"

Heart closed her arms around the furious Jikochuu, pressing her forehead against its chest.

"Cure Heart...you don't understand. This isn't your friend!" Sword was readying her attack once more, her arm crossed in front of her.

"I know that, Sword-san. It still feels wrong to not try." Cure Heart stepped back, leaving behind a very confused Jikochuu. "Goodbye, Jikochuu-san."

The silver Lovead appeared in front of her once more, Heart replacing the golden Lovead on Sharuru's head with it now. She drew a heart on the touch-screen, pressing it to her chest and feeling its fake heartbeat. Her brooch glimmered.

"Rikka…" she whispered. Heart took one final deep breath, in and out.

"From me to you! My Sweet Heart!"

In an instant, the pink light disappeared from the roof. Instead, Heart's brooch shone brighter than even Sword's attack as she smiled, the light matching her eyes in intensity. A bright beam, sparkling and shining as if it was the light of the future itself, shot out towards the Jikochuu, enveloping it in warmth.

The Jikochuu roared, twitching and contorting.

"L-love!" It cried out. "Love! LOVE!"

Its body dissolved in the embrace of the light, its very molecules separating from each other, leaving behind only a pink heart fluttering on angel wings.

Heart stared at it, watching it flutter gently before it flew off, back into the tower itself.

"Ughhhh!" Regina pouted, stomping her feet. "You're so annoying, Cure Heart! Annoying, annoying, annoying!" She made a face, then vanished into thin air.

Heart looked at where she had been for a good five seconds before finally breathing again. She fell back onto the ground, sighing.

"Aaah~" she whined. "That was too heart-pounding! I thought I was gonna burst!" A firm hand on her shoulder made her look up.

Cure Sword stood there, a stern look in her eye.

"How did you do that?"

"Eh?" Heart tilted her head to the side.

"Your attack. It purified the Jikochuu in one shot. You didn't even make physical contact!" she exclaimed. "A purifying attack is rare enough, but for it to be so powerful...I've never seen anything like it, outside of Cure Ace herself."

Heart smiled nervously.

"Yeah, uh, I don't really know how that happened, but-!" Two hands now, shaking Heart's shoulders.

"And your name! Cure Heart! To be one of the four cardinal suits like that - I haven't heard of a name like that in a long time! Which city are you from? What sector of Pretty Cure? I thought they had all fallen before they got to the capital. If there had been such strong Pretty Cure, why didn't they send them to help? Did you even get our calls for help? Cure Heart? Who's your leader? Are you the leader?" It was a rapid barrage of questions, Cure Sword not stopping long enough for Heart to even attempt to answer one.

"W-w-wait!" she cried, stumbling to her feet. "I don't know what's going on! I just transformed 'cause Sharuru-chan told me to! I'm sorry, Sword-san!"

Sword's face fell.

"Oh," she said, monotone. "I see. You aren't from Trump Kingdom at all, are you?"

"I-I'm sorry," Heart said, looking away. "I just...I had to do something!"

"No, you didn't. I apologize for making it seem like we were friends," Sword replied, eyes and voice dull. She turned to walk away.

"But we could be!"

Sword looked back.

"We could be!" Heart cried. "We could work together, Sword-san! I don't really know what's going on, but I can fight with you! You don't have to work alone!"

Sword sighed.

"Thank you for the offer, Cure Heart. However, I am not working alone. My team is with me. And I will not abandon them for someone else. Not until I get them back." Sword looked up at the sky.

"Team?" Heart asked.

"The Royal Pretty Cure. We must fight with love in our heart, but strength in our hands." She pounded her chest with a fist. "You would do well to remember that, Cure Heart. When the Selfish attack with their full strength, will you be able to protect those dear to you?"

With that, Sword jumped off the tower, leaving Heart alone.

"With their full strength…?" Heart echoed.

"Ah, sharu! You should get back inside the tower, sharu!" Sharuru squeaked from Heart's pocket.

Heart didn't question it, jumping back inside the hole the Jikochuu had made.

"Uh...how do I get my normal clothes back, Sharuru?" Heart asked sheepishly.

"Just will it, sharu! Like you did to summon your Lovead, sharu!"

Heart squeezed her fists together, the pink light leaving her body. Her normal pink clothes and magenta hair replaced the ethereal outfit.

It seemed she had been just in time. The fluttering heart placed itself back into Rikka's chest as rainbow-colored light shone down from above, fixing the damages created by the Jikochuu and the Pretty Cure.

"Woah…" Mana said as the colors faded from the tower.

"When a Psyche separates or reconnects with a human, there's energy created, sharu! The energy from separation is used to create a Jikochuu, and the energy from reconnection heals the damages, sharu!" Sharuru explained.

"So...Rikka's okay? That was her...Psyche?" Sharuru nodded agreement.

"Yep, sharu! The Psyche is a manifestation of your soul, sharu! The Selfish can see them and manipulate your dark thoughts to create the Jikochuu, sharu!"

"Like that Regina girl!" Mana exclaimed.

"Yep, yep, sharu! She's just one of the Selfish Generals, sharu. At least, I think...I'm kinda new at this too, sharu," Sharuru admitted.

"Don't worry, don't worry! It's gonna be heart-pounding for both of us!"

A groan from Rikka shushed the both of them, as Mana rushed to her friend's side.

"Rikka-chan? Are you okay? I've been so, so, worried!" Mana said rapidly, lifting up Rikka's head and torso. "So much happened…!"

Rikka opened her eyes slowly.

"Mana…? What happened? Where did that...other girl go?"

"You're okay! Ah, I have so much to tell you, Rikka-chan!"

" _I'm not sure what kind of joke you're telling me, Mana, but make it more believable next time."_

Mana groaned as she remembered Rikka's blunt rejection for the fifth time that morning.

After the whole incident with Regina and the Jikochuu, the trip had been abruptly cut short, and the Clover Tower closed for the next two days while the property was inspected. Of course, Mana and Sharuru knew they wouldn't find anything.

Despite Mana fretting over her the whole evening, Rikka had been perfectly fine, if a bit annoyed with Mana's constant doting.

Sharuru refused to help Mana talk to Rikka about what had happened, stating that "we don't want to drag her into this fight, sharu!" It was the right decision, Mana knew.

But keeping secrets from Rikka felt like an arrow shot into her heart.

"President? You seem kind of down."

Mana snapped back to herself to see half of student council staring at her. Ah, she had forgotten to greet people in her thoughts!

"O-oh, sorry! Good morning!" she exclaimed, face going red.

Mana sighed. Rikka's disbelief of Mana becoming a Precure, both when she told her at the tower and when she tried to explain again this morning, was just too sharp.

"Ah, this is totally heart-pounding!" she whined.

People passed by her, mumbling things Mana couldn't catch. Ah, were they talking about her? She took a breath, and stiffened, trying to block out her thoughts about Rikka.

But Rikka was right next to her!

"R-rikka-chan…!" she started, but her words died in her throat at Rikka's stern gaze.

"Aida-san. Whatever it is, it can wait until we get a break."

"Mmmmmgh…" Mana mumbled. "Okay…."

"Hey, Pres! Good to see you toning it down a notch!" came the mocking of a classmate. Nikaidou Takuya, no doubt.

"Good morning to you too, Nikaidou-san!" Mana called, putting all of her energy into the greeting just to annoy him. The brown-haired kid sighed dramatically at her enthusiastic greeting.

"Liked it better when you were moping, Aida-san!"

"I always have enough energy for you, Nikaidou-san!" Mana laughed as Nikaidou rushed inside to avoid the stares of his fellow classmates. And...wait, was he blushing?

Mana felt a bit better at that, but Rikka's blank stares and perfect greetings made her heart sink. How was she supposed to tell her?

" _When the Selfish attack with their full strength, will you be able to protect those dear to you?"_

Sword's warning pounded in her chest like a second heartbeat.

If she had to keep something secret from Rikka...would it be worth it?

"Ihavetogo!" Mana blurted out, rushing away from Rikka and the rest and outside the school gates. She pulled Sharuru out of her bag as she slumped against the wall, breathing heavily.

"Ah, Sharuru-chan, what do I do~" Mana asked, eyes wide and pleading. "I can't keep secrets from Rikka! It's too haaaaaard!"

"Of course you can, keru!" Sharuru didn't move, but a voice replied to her regardless.

"Eh? Keru? I thought you said sharu…" Mana mused. Sharuru poofed back into her fairy form, floating over Mana's bag.

"Raquel! Lance! I told you two to not come with me, sharu!" Two small fairy forms floated out at Sharuru's command - one blue and dog-like, another yellow and bear-like.

"But I wanted to see more people, keru! You've been making us fly with you to find Cure Sword so much, keru...I haven't even gotten to see Earth, keru!" the blue fairy protested, crossing his stubby arms.

"Yeah, ransu! I'm tired of flying and waiting around, ransu…" the yellow fairy, most likely to prove his point, slowly floated down to the pavement. He started snoring dramatically - whether it was real or fake, Mana didn't know.

"Eh? Ehhhh? There's more of you?!" Mana exclaimed.

"We want to find Pretty Cure warriors like you, keru!" The blue one - Raquel, Mana supposed - said, nodding at his assessment.

"Yeah, ransu~" the yellow one - Lance? - replied, still face-down on the pavement.

"No, no, no, sharu! No more Pretty Cure, sharu! This one's endangering us all already, sharu!"

"But Sharuru, keru! I want a Cure too, keru!"

"No, sharu! No more, sharu!"

"Not fair, ransu!"

"Yeah, not fair, keru!"

"Aaaaah, enough!" Mana yelled, grabbing Raquel and Lance. "I just want to know why I can't tell Rikka about-"

"Can't tell me about what?"

Mana almost jumped when she heard Rikka's voice. Ignoring Raquel and Lance's protests, she shoved them back in her bag, zipping it up with record speed and clambering to her feet.

"Ahahaha, nothing! It's nothing!"

Rikka raised an eyebrow.

"Okay…" she crouched down, picking up Sharuru, who had turned back into her cell phone form. "Huh. Weird phone, Mana."

"Y-yeah, but it's kinda cute, right?" Mana stumbled over her words, grinning nervously. "I mean, I like it! I'll take it back now-"

She reached out to grab Sharuru, but Rikka sidestepped easily, holding her just out of Mana's reach.

"Not until you tell me what's up with you today," she stated, glaring.

"I mean, I've tried!" Mana cried, trying and failing to take Sharuru from Rikka. "But it's hard, Rikka!"

"What, you mean that 'Pretty Cure' story?" Rikka asked, eyes narrowing. She moved to the side once more, watching Mana overreach and fall onto the sidewalk. "You can't honestly expect me to believe that, Mana-chan."

"But it's all true, Rikka! Please, you have to believe me!" Mana cried, springing up and grabbing Sharuru.

The two of them shared the fairy with one iron grip each, Rikka's stare against Mana's pleading eyes.

"You really mean it, huh?" Rikka said, sighing. "You really think you've become this...Pretty Cure."

"Yep." Mana didn't look away.

"Alright, then. I still don't believe you, but I'll stop pressing." Rikka let Sharuru go, Mana clutching it with both hands. "It's not my place to mess with your beliefs of saving everyone, oh Happy Prince."

"Happy Prince?" Rikka had called her that before, but Mana had never asked why.

"Don't you remember? In Literature class?" Mana shook her head no. "I guess I _was_ in honors," Rikka sighed.

"Well, what is it?" Mana said, practically jumping. Rikka looked up at the clock, then back at Mana.

"Well, I guess we're already late. The Happy Prince was a statue made of gold, in the shape of a man who looked upon the city," Rikka started. "One day, a sparrow began to nest on the statue. He noticed that the Prince was crying. When the sparrow asked why, the Prince replied that he had not known suffering when he was alive, and now that he was a statue of gold he could see it all. He asked the sparrow to give out pieces of him to the poor - first his crown, then his eyes, and at last his body. The sparrow stayed with him, though he had at first wished to fly away to Egypt. At last the Happy Prince was nothing but lead, and the bird tired and frail. The sparrow kissed the Prince, and fell down dead - and the Prince's lead heart broke. He was pulled down from his statue base, deemed to look like nothing but a poor beggar."

Mana stared, wide eyed, throughout Rikka's story. Rikka opened her eyes, looking at Mana's awed look.

"You've always been like that prince, Mana," she said. "You give of yourself, again and again, until you have nothing left. All so that you can believe you're saving everyone…"

"R-rikka...am I hurting you?" Mana asked, fidgeting slightly. Rikka looked up with a start.

"No! No, no, not at all. It's just...a story. Nothing more." Rikka looked down at the ground with a sad smile. Mana felt uneasy. "We should get to class. We're not helping anyone, standing around like this. Come on, Mana."

"Mana, huh?"

The sharp, high-pitched voice rang out around the street, punctuated by the steady _ding dong_ of the school bell.

"The selfless Mana herself. Look at that."

Rikka looked around, shocked. Mana reached out to grab her hand, holding it tight.

"Don't worry," she said. "I won't let anyone touch you."

"Eh?" Rikka said. "What do you...mean…."

She trailed off, Mana looking up to see the cause. What she saw instead was a small, light blue-haired boy floating in midair, with piercing golden eyes and twin bat wings behind his ears. He smirked.

"Who are you?" Mana shouted. "How do you know my name?"

"Hahaha! Pretty much all of the Selfish know your name now, Aida Mana!" The boy reclined in mid-air - which would have been silly if Mana wasn't already anxious - and widened his smirk. "And me? I'm one of the Selfish Generals! Ira!"

"Ira…" Rikka muttered.

"After that stunt you pulled back at that tower, it's a shock you're still alive! But _Regina_ likes you, as much as she changes her mind on it." Mana's eyes widened. Regina? Like that girl from Clover Tower? That would mean...he was the same kind of Selfish that Cure Sword had mentioned!

"I'm only here to do what the boss says, and if the boss is that brat Regina, then that's that. So, Aida Mana…" Ira touched down on the street, extending a hand. "Time to come to the Selfish Kingdom."

"And why would she do that?!" Rikka exclaimed, putting her body between them. Ira sighed.

"Didn't you hear that? Regina wants the pink girl. The pink girl is Aida Mana. So, she's coming with us."

"There's no way that's happening! Mana's my friend! I wouldn't let anyone suspicious like you take her!"

"Rikka-chan…" Mana knew she had to transform. She had to fight off Ira before he made a Jikochuu like Regina had. "No, I won't go with you!"

"Shame," Ira said. He threw his outstretched hand to the side. "Then I guess it'll have to be by force! Jikochuu!"

Mana stiffened. Already?

They waited. One second, two seconds, three seconds. Ira's hand was still thrown out, waiting for a dramatic appearance.

But the Jikochuu didn't show.

"Are you kidding me?" he yelled. "Not a single person is around? Not a single selfish thought? Ugh, humans are so inconvenient!"

Mana let out a breath, slumping. Maybe she didn't have to transform after all.

"Then I'll do it myself! Screw Marmo - what does she know? Of course I can fight!"

Ah, she had spoken too soon!

Mana spun to look at Rikka.

"Get out of here!" she called. "It isn't safe! Go!"

"What do you mean?" Rikka replied. "What are you going to do?"

"What does it look like, Rikka-chan? I'm gonna stop him!"

Mana ran out to the empty street, Sharuru in hand.

"You Happy Prince!"

"Eh?" Mana looked back at the trembling Rikka.

"Even that prince needed a sparrow to give out his body to the people, Mana! He couldn't do it alone!" She shook her head, hands curled into fists. "So Mana...won't you let me be your sparrow?!"

"Huh? And why would you want to put yourself into danger like that, kid?" Ira asked with an exaggerated grimace.

"Because I love Mana! And I won't stand by and see her tear herself apart!" Rikka grabbed her chest, eyes fierce and filled with tiny tears. Mana was taken aback.

"I can't, Sharuru," she whispered. "I could never do this."

"Mana, you aren't going to-"

"Pretty Cure!"

"Wait, sharu!" Sharuru pleaded as Mana put her Lovead into the commune. "Shouldn't you think about this, sharu?!"

"I've done all the thinking I needed, Sharuru!" Mana smiled brightly. "Love Link!"

"L-O-V-E!"

Pink light encompassed her vision as Mana transformed, feeling strength radiate through her body.

"Brimming with love! Cure Heart!"

Rikka simply stood there, expression of shock frozen on her face.

"Oh Selfish General who knows no love! I, Cure Heart, will restore your heart-pounding excitement!" Heart called, the exhilaration of transforming in front of Rikka filling her with courage.

"Oh, you have got to be joking. The girl Regina wanted was a Pretty Cure?" Ira groaned. "Whatever. Pretty Cure or not, I'm still stronger!"

Heart ran out to meet Ira's first punch, catching it and using the momentum to fling herself over the Selfish boy. Ira turned with a squawk of rage, throwing two more punches that knocked Heart to the ground.

"Mana!" Rikka called.

"Don't worry, Rikka. I'm fine." Heart pushed herself up. "I'm always fine!"

Heart dodged the next few punches from Ira with relative ease. Ira growled, and levitated off the ground while muttering something about "no fun magical girls." Heart backed up, and ran for it, leaping off the ground to tackle Ira.

"Aaaugh! Get off me!" he yelled. "Stupid Pretty Cure!"

To Heart's dismay, Ira's twisting and struggling pushed her off him.

"Now look what you've done!" he called, an ominous orb of purple, sparking energy above an outstretched fingertip. "Say goodbye to your useless blue friend!"

Rikka looked up at Ira just as he sent the beam of purple energy at her. She froze.

 _Regina had done the same thing_ , Heart realized. She couldn't let that happen again. She was stronger now.

"NO!" she screamed, blocking Rikka with her body. "I won't let you hurt her!"

"Mana!" Rikka said, fear still in her eyes.

Ah, it hurt. But nothing would hurt more than seeing Rikka hurt, Mana knew. So if she couldn't stop herself from dragging Rikka into this fight...she would bear this for Rikka's sake!

"No matter what, I'll protect Rikka! Because that's the Pretty Cure I want to be!" Heart's brooch glimmered, just as it had done back on the tower.

"Now, sharu!"

Heart summoned her silver Lovead, placing it on Sharuru.

"From me to you! My Sweet Heart!"

The pink beam of energy shot out from her brooch once more, striking Ira and driving him back. But Ira struggled against it much more than the Jikochuu had, pushing it back with both hands.

"Ah, it isn't enough?!" Heart exclaimed. "But it's all I have!"

"The Selfish Generals can resist your power, sharu! I don't know if My Sweet Heart alone will be enough to make him retreat, sharu!" Sharuru cried.

"She isn't alone."

Heart felt a hand placed on her own. Rikka's smiling face was inches away from her own.

"She wanted to tell me, all this time. I just didn't believe her. Mana was never alone."

"Rikka-chan…"

"So I'll fight with her. Not as a Pretty Cure, but with my own strength!"

The pink beam became brighter and wider, Ira now struggling to drive it back.

"W-what is this? The other one never had anything like this!"

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Heart and Rikka screamed together, watching Ira lose inch after inch of space.

"I'm not falling here!" Ira floated upwards, watching the beam shoot far past him. "I'll remember this, Pretty Cure!"

And with that, he vanished. There was no Jikochuu purified, nor rainbow light that fixed the damage made. But Heart still felt happy.

"Rikka...thank you," she said. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"You Happy Prince. I'm just glad you didn't hurt yourself," Rikka replied. "Now come on. Get that silly outfit off and let's go to school."

"Ah, school!" Mana exclaimed as she detransformed, her face going red. "I totally forgot!"

Rikka laughed, running ahead of Mana.

"Wait, Riiiikkaaaaa! Don't leave me! You said I wasn't alooone!" Mana protested, chasing after her.

As the two girls laughed, two long-forgotten fairies in a school bag mumbled.

"Cure Sword-san's gonna kill us, keru."

"Ah, I don't want to die, ransu!"


End file.
